Instead, within moments, she began to move, pushing herself away. “It’s good to see you but—”
He silenced her with a kiss, his wolf still wanting to stake a claim. The fact that his wolf’s desires and his were in accord made the action impossible to deny. Dipping his tongue into her mouth, he rumbled in pleasure. So sweet, he thought as he explored the warm cavern. Threading his fingers through her hair, he held her head in place with one hand while sweeping the other down over her back to cup her delightfully curved rear. Arousal hit him hard and he pressed closer, making her aware of his need.
She gasped and broke the kiss, staring up at him with wide eyes. Her fingers splayed across his chest, her nails faint pricks through the material of his shirt.
Reno laughed, unexpectedly feeling joyful in her presence. “I’ve missed you, too, darlin’ so I came down for a visit. I thought we could drive back to Lycan Link together.”
Brandi blinked at him, and he could see her thoughts were racing. Reno wondered why she wasn’t jumping into the scenario that she had started to create during their brief phone call the other night. She was usually quicker than this on the uptake.
He decided to give her a subtle prompt, mindful that whoever was lurking in the hallway was listening in. Playfully, he wrapped a strand of her hair around his finger and gave it a gentle tug. “I know we weren’t planning on telling anyone yet, but I let slip to Walt that we’re engaged.” It felt good to say that, he realized, even if it was just part of a cover story. A rueful smile played over his lips. “He seemed real surprised to hear you were my fiancée.”
She gasped, her eyes growing wider, and for the first time since he’d known her she seemed at a loss for words.
Pressing a quick kiss to the tip of her nose, he continued, laying on his Texas charm for any eavesdroppers. “Sorry, sugar, but I can’t wait for us to officially become mates. I’m damned near busting with pride over the fact.” With that he grasped her hands in his and brought them to his mouth, placing a tender kiss on her fingertips.
While the sappy words made him cringe, Reno was pleased with the masterful performance he’d just given of a man in love. And there was a certain feeling of rightness about the whole situation. His wolf was happier with him than it had been in ages and a warm feeling was growing in the region of his heart. It was strange, but… nice.
He wondered if Damien felt this way with Beth. As if everything was finally right in the world. A grin spread over Reno’s face. Being with Brandi was good, real good. How had he allowed himself to forget that fact?
It wasn’t often he allowed himself to have hopes for the future—hell, had he ever—but maybe, once they were back at Lycan Link, he and Brandi could try again; see each other once in a while. Just casual, of course. He wondered what she’d think of the idea and decided she’d probably agree. After all, she’d enjoyed their kiss at Clancy’s and she’d called him for help the other night. Yeah, Brandi was warming up to him again.
“Damnation Reno! Now why the hell did you have to do that?”
Chapter 20
Brandi cursed at the man before her, all too aware of who was listening in the hallway. Of all times for Reno to be clever and remember one of the scenarios she’d set up! When she’d called him ‘darling’ the other night, she’d been hoping to throw Victor off. Never once did she imagine Reno would recall their conversation and extract an imaginary engagement from it! Now she had to do some fast thinking if she was going to save Reno’s butt and get him out of Kolding’s Pass in one piece.
As much as she hated to leave the comforting circle of his arms she forced herself to push away and made a show of wiping her mouth and hands as if his kisses hadn’t been welcome. Out of the corner of her eye she noted a flash of hurt in Reno’s eyes and her own wolf protested the action but she ignored both. The greater good, she reminded herself. Always work for the greater good.
How can pushing him away be good? Her wolf pouted discontentedly, recalling the pleasant roughness of his stubbled chin against her cheek and the nip of his teeth.
I’ve explained that, she answered shortly. He’s in danger if he remains. Convincing him to leave will ensure his safety.
The wolf’s ears twitched as it puzzled over this yet again. Saving our mate is important but so is being with him. We can do both at the same time. We are stronger together than apart…
Brandi rolled her eyes inwardly at the recalcitrant animal’s logic and focussed on the man before her instead. Dammit, now she had to work the phoney engagement he’d told everyone about into the story she’d just spent over an hour concocting and hope he had enough sense to follow her lead. When she spoke the frustration in her voice wasn’t in the least bit feigned.
“Reno, I can’t believe even you would have the gall to go around telling people we’re engaged!” For years she’d been hoping for a real relationship with Reno and now she had to act as if it were the furthest thing from her mind. She hoped she could be sufficiently convincing.
“But—”
“I mean what the hell were you thinking? When did I ever give you the slightest bit of encouragement?”
“Well—”
She ignored the fading of his smile and the puzzlement on his face. “Sure, we’ve had sex but really… Did you actually think I’d even consider a permanent relationship with an Enforcer?”
“I—”
She gave him no chance to respond. “No, of course you didn’t think. All brawn and little brain, that’s what Enforcers are known for, isn’t it?” She threw in a taunting laugh. “Well, that and for being barely-civilized rogues.”
He made no attempt to interrupt this time but she could see a muscle working in his jaw. A shutter seemed to have fallen over his eyes as well, and the light of happiness she’d briefly glimpsed upon greeting him was now gone.
“Everyone warned me; why didn’t I listen? I guess I thought you were different but you aren’t. You’re just like all the others, so wrapped up in dealing with your inner wolf that you never think about how other people might feel!” She flicked a disdainful gaze up and down him. “I guess that’s why they kick your kind out of packs.”
If she didn’t know better, she’d swear she saw Reno flinch but of course she had to be wrong. Continuing her impromptu tirade, Brandi allowed all the bottled up feelings from the past three years to come pouring out. The words weren’t true but Victor wouldn’t know that, he’d just sense the emotional hurt. And while Reno knew they weren’t really engaged, hopefully her performance would anger him enough that he’d leave town.
“Why I mooned over you all these years, I’ll never know. I guess it was the edge of danger, the thrill of sleeping with a rogue, but once that was gone… ” She paused and gave a one shouldered shrug. “The sex was good but anything permanent is out of the question.”
A quick look at Reno’s face revealed it was like stone and she couldn’t read his expression at all. Of course, she could peek into his mind and see how he was feeling but did she really want to know? What if she was actually hurting his feelings? No, that couldn’t happen. Reno didn’t care that much about her. Her opinion wouldn’t really matter to him. And even if it did, it was for his own good.
“I’ve only been here a few days but it’s been long enough to make me realize some things and one is that there’s no future with you.” She took a deep breath, planted her hands on her hips and lifted her chin. “I think it would be best if you’d just leave.” Arching one brow at him, she gave him the bitchiest look she could muster while holding her breath and wondering how he’d respond.
“Leave? Why the hell did you call me in the middle of the night if—” Reno clamped his mouth shut on whatever he’d been about to say. His chin began to jut belligerently and his hands fisted at his side, most likely to keep himself from grabbing her and shaking her in anger, she thought with trepidation. A dominant male such as he wouldn’t take kindly to being given a tongue-lashing, even if it was just part of a show.
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“The call was a mistake. I… I’d had an argument with Victor, my Alpha, and was just lashing out, but we’ve patched things up. As a matter of fact I’m seriously thinking of staying here and resigning from Lycan Link.”
“You’re what?” Reno’s face reflected his shock and a part of her was pleased, though she didn’t dare show it.
“I… I know it’s short notice but I’m going to resign from Lycan Link and stay in Kolding’s Pass.” Brandi stammered as she recited the story. She was a ‘professional liar’ but she hated doing it to Reno… especially to Reno.
“And do what?” He stepped forward, his tone angry, shock turning into aggression before her eyes. It radiated from him and Brandi fell back a pace, never having felt the force of him directed at her in such a way. Was he acting or was he really upset with her? She wasn’t sure.
Victor chose that moment to abandon the shadows of the hallway where he’d been lurking. The Alpha strode across the room, chin up and eyes narrowed. Confidence, aggression, possessiveness; it all radiated from him like a blast furnace.
Brandi got a sick feeling in her stomach. The situation was rapidly turning sour. Reno wouldn’t respond well to Victor’s territorial show. She knew only too well how the Enforcer dealt with ornery Alphas. Wasn’t this just great? She was supposed to be on vacation and here she was stuck smack dab in the middle of what could well become a critical incident with no backup in sight!
Before she could think of how to defuse the situation, Victor was tucking her protectively to his side. “She’s staying with me, Smith. As my mate, so back off.”
A snarl ripped from Reno’s throat and he lunged forward. Victor responded in kind. Energy crackled in the air and Brandi could sense that both males were on the verge of transforming and she was stuck in the middle!
While her wolf bristled ready to jump in and defend its mate, Brandi wiggled free of Victor’s grasp and pressed a hand against each man’s chest, trying to push them apart.
“None of that! You’ll behave like you’re civilized, not wild animals. Get your wolves under control. Now.”
Surprisingly enough, both men glared at her but eased back. The fire dimmed in their eyes and their muscles relaxed minutely. While they weren’t exactly backing down, the threat of a fight was diminishing. The energy that accompanied transformations no longer sparked in the air and she slowly exhaled the breath she’d been holding.
Now, if she could just get through the rest of this without either man going ballistic on her! Who’d have thought after all the years of bickering, that Reno would put up such a fuss over her staying in Kolding’s Pass?
See? He does care. If you’d just listen to me and tell him about the bond rather than trying to be noble, none of this would be necessary. Her wolf chided her, thoroughly exasperated with her human host.
Not now! I need my wits about me to get through this without bloodshed. She hissed the reprimand at the beast while eyeing the men before her.
“We’re still exploring that possibility, Victor. And didn’t you agree to let me handle this?” She spoke with a smile, almost gagging on having to be pleasant to the bigoted Alpha. Why it bothered her more this time than it had during any of her past cases she wasn’t sure. Was it because Reno was watching? Because she was lying to him and it just felt so wrong?
“I only stepped in when he showed signs of becoming aggressive, my dear.” Victor gave her shoulder what could have been a comforting squeeze except for the strength of his grip. His fingers bit into her flesh as he silently delivered a warning and she fought not to wince. “I’ll just head back to my office. Meet me there once you’re done. And don’t forget,” he gave Reno a hard stare, “I can hear everything, so just call out if you need me.” He released her and left the room.
Brandi resisted the urge to rub her aching shoulder and assumed an airy, almost patronizing tone. “Reno, it really was kind of you to come all the way here and I apologize for sending out a false alarm but as you can see, everything is perfectly fine. I really have no need of your… services anymore.”
“Really? Or are you just saying that because the asshole’s around?” Reno almost snarled the words at her, his gaze hard as if he were dissecting her, picking through her brain and analyzing her motives. She struggled not to squirm as she noted a muscle ticking in his jaw. From past experience she knew that was usually a bad sign for whomever his anger was directed at. Using all her skill, she projected as much confidence into her tone as possible.
“I really mean it, Reno. Everyone at Lycan Link knows I’ve been feeling restless for a while now. I’d hoped a new job would help but since I’ve been here… well… I really think that reconnecting with my old pack is what I need to do at this stage in my life.” She flipped her hair back over her shoulders and stood as straight and confident as possible.
Reno stood silently before her, his arms crossed over his chest, his head cocked to the side. When she finished speaking, he didn’t answer immediately and she desperately hoped he wasn’t going to kick up more of a fuss. Victor would be out here in a flash if he did, the man seemed to be aching for an opportunity to fight Reno. It was almost as if he had a personal vendetta against Enforcers.
Please, please, please believe me. Just for now. It’s for your own good. Brandi projected her thoughts towards Reno, praying that for once their connection would work more than one way. There was no answering whisper in her mind, though.
Finally he gave a quick nod. “Fine. If that’s your choice then I won’t stand in your way. But when you realize what an asinine decision this is, don’t expect me to come running to your rescue.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. Thanks for your concern. I’ll see you around.” She gave him a saccharine sweet smile and held out her hand.
He stared at it for a moment before slowly reaching out to grasp it lightly.
As always, awareness of his touch flared through her and she fought to give no sign of the reaction. He stared at their joined hands then flicked a glance up at her face before completing the perfunctory shake and letting go.
Reno worked his jaw then surprised her by reaching out to cup her face. Gently, he rubbed his thumb over her lower lip. “Be happy, Brandi.”
She felt tears welling in her eyes and blinked rapidly to keep them back but couldn’t stop the small catch in her voice when she bid him farewell. “Thanks. You too.”
And with that he left.
As the door shut behind him, Brandi’s knees almost gave out and she leaned against the wall for support, wrapping her arms around her stomach. While part of her was glad he’d gone and would be safe, another part of her felt like it was dying. He’s leaving. Oh, God, he’s really leaving! I managed to chase him off and now he’s leaving me to face Victor and the rest of the Purists on my own.
Her wolf whimpered, unhappy and confused that Reno was giving up so soon. She tried to comfort it with soothing words and logic. It’s for the best, she told the creature. You don’t want him hanging around and getting hurt, do you?
Our mate wouldn’t abandon us this easily to another, the wolf countered sounding hurt. Something is wrong, there has to be. Through a side window, Brandi watched Reno walking away. She could feel the beast projecting pleading thoughts towards him, begging him to return. A part of her hoped he would but of course it didn’t happen.
The door that led to the back rooms opened and Walt appeared, swaggering over to his desk. “Appears that Reno guy isn’t as tough as they say. Victor had him shaking in his boots.”
No, he didn’t, you idiot. Reno backed down because I asked him to. Brandi bit back the words that formed on her lips and merely nodded dully.
“Victor says I’m to escort you back to your room. He wants you to stay here tonight, just in case Smith tries to come back to talk to you.” Walt grabbed a set of keys from his desk drawer and gestured for her to move.
Reluctantly, Brandi walked out of the town hall’s main office to the small back room where she
’d been held the previous night. Once she was inside, Walt locked the door and left.
She sank down onto one of the wooden chairs and propped her elbows on the table, cradling her head in her hands. Okay, Reno was gone. Her heart was broken. Now what the hell was she going to do?
Chapter 21
Reno headed back to his motel room in a foul mood. Being chewed out wasn’t high on his list of favourite things and it rankled knowing that bastard, Victor, had been listening in. When the man had laid claim to Brandi, he’d almost lost it. If it hadn’t been for her intervening he might not have been able to stop.
He tightened his lips. The whole situation had him angry and confused, unsure if what she’d said had been for show or if there were some kernels of truth in her words. And even if it had been for show, those thoughts must have crossed her mind at some point in time for her to be able to spout them with such ease.
‘More brawn than brain.’ He frowned. No one had ever said that about him. Sure, he was a strong and highly skilled fighter, but as the leader of a squad he did a lot of planning and strategizing, too.
‘Did you actually think I’d consider a permanent relationship with an Enforcer?’ Hell, he hadn’t been looking for a relationship… had he? And where did she get off using that tone of voice?
‘Once the thrill of having slept with a rogue was over… ’ Shit. Could he have been mistaken all those years ago? Was she just another Enforcer groupie?
It stung his pride to hear her speak so disparagingly. Hell, it had fucking hurt! He hadn’t asked to have a rogue wolf and had done his damnedest all his life to keep it under control. And then, to have to listen to that kind of crap from the woman he lo—
He stopped his thought before it was fully formed and forced his clenched fists to uncurl. His feelings for Brandi were only mild interest. Lust. Maybe even fascination. But nothing deeper. He gave a sarcastic laugh. According to her, he wasn’t even capable of ‘deep’ feelings. Just a rogue that nobody wanted. Yeah, in her book that’s all he’d ever be.